After Miyuki was rendered speechless by the rebuke, Senior Chris turned around and handed Sendou a banana.
"It's such a pity! We were just a little short!"
"No! The bat was just being suppressed by the ball's power!"
And I didn't hit the ball in the center either!
"My hands were a little numb just now. You've really improved a lot, Kan!" Sendou put the banana on the stool and looked at his hands as he replied.
"Sigh!" Senior Chris was as gentle as ever.
He's old and amenable!
After a brief conversation, everyone's attention returned to the field; the showdown between Captain Tetsu was about to begin.
Although he was second base with one out, Kiryu had no desire to compete against Captain Tetsu.
On the one hand, the risk is too high, and on the other hand, we don't want the Captain Tetsu to get used to the Ball Trajectory's style so easily.
If you want to keep suppressing Captain Tetsu, you will inevitably show him too many Ball Trajectory, which will be very disadvantageous in the endgame.
If Sendou and Captain Tetsu hadn't been on the same team, Sendou's fate would have been the same.
Although his hitting wasn't much better just now, he mainly relied on bad shots and was unwilling to easily decide the outcome.
Captain Tetsu did not attempt any bad or difficult Ball Trajectory, so he was walked to base.
Previously, the constant use of Inside Corner Ball against Captain Tetsu had left a deep impression on Masuko-senpai, tricking Masuko into shooting at the outside corner kicks.
That's a second elimination!
"Seventh batter! Catcher, Miyuki-kun!"
"Take all the good stuff, you bastard!"
"Really?"
" Four Balls!"
"Bases loaded?"
"Although we could compete with this batter, he has a good scoring ability, and besides, the pitcher is behind him." Coach Matsumoto glanced at Tanba, who was squatting behind Miyuki.
Having finally turned the tide, and then encountering a team that could consistently maintain a winning streak, it was naturally impossible for them to compete with Miyuki.
"Nice shot!"
"The attacker is out!"
Although a walk was taken in this round, Captain Tetsu was an offensive four-walker, and taking Miyuki was a tactical necessity, so naturally no one had any objections.
Seidou didn't expect that the Center Batting Lineup lineup would start the game, and with the first batter on base, after scoring Sendou's outs without taking any damage, Coach Matsumoto found the safest path and perfectly executed their plan.
Furthermore, the reduced head-to-head contact made it more difficult for Seidou's key scoring options to adapt to Hirobi Tate's shots.
Once the information became clear, and with Coach Matsumoto's full command, the team's fighting strength noticeably improved, even though they weren't much stronger than in Practice Match.
This is what makes an all-around master coach so formidable, possessing intelligence analysis, on-the-spot command, and overall strategic control.
Compared to Coach Kataoka, Coach Matsumoto is still somewhat less experienced, or rather, his thinking is not as deep, although Coach Kataoka's thinking is much more flexible than in his previous life because of Sendou's addition.
"That old man is really tough to deal with!" Sendou muttered to Coach Matsumoto as he watched Kiryu's defensive formation hold firm with zero points against them in this round.
"If they weren't so difficult to deal with, Kiryu High School wouldn't be what it is today!"
However, this tactic is unlikely to be used a second time. Coach Kataoka, however, seemed completely unmoved.
He also firmly believed that his strategy was correct, and that he would win by combining orthodox and unorthodox tactics.
Coach Kataoka's tactics were blatantly Overt Stratagem, but Overt Stratagem are often much more effective than surprise attacks.
They knew Seidou's intentions perfectly well, but they were caught off guard and had no way to counter them.
The only thing they could do was hold on, as if this game was also intended to preserve the physical fitness of the Hirobi Tate.
Coach Kataoka's approach is also in line with Coach Sakaki's, deeply understanding the previously mentioned strategy of winning through both orthodox and unorthodox tactics.
The most powerful combination is direct pressure coupled with surprise attacks.
Baseball is actually a sport that originated from a battle.
The runner is like a messenger, running along the only route past three bases, dodging the enemy's encirclement and interception, and returning to home plate.
At this point, Coach Kataoka, who had been observing for so long without giving any concrete instructions and had remained expressionless, had actually come up with a plan for a surprise attack.
Although there are no specific instructions, the main reason is that the main athletes of Seidou this year are really reliable, and we can leave the judgment to them.
In the original work, except for crucial moments in the Summer Tournament when coaches do need to coordinate multiple players or see an opportunity, Coach Kataoka rarely gives specific instructions.
However, the number of such instructions began to skyrocket in the Autumn Tournament, until the new generation of basemen, as well as players like Watanabe off the field, began to fully mature.
This would help alleviate his burdens, or rather, allow him to confidently let the players make their own decisions, and then return to the free-range approach of summer, reducing interference with the players.
" Tanba!
Let those guys handle the fighting!
As a pitcher, you didn't lose to Hirobi Tate!
"When facing the opponent's bottom batting lineup, just stand tall and throw!" Coach Kataoka said to Tanba, who had struck out.
"Hi!!!" Just like that, Ace Master was fully revived.
" Furuya! Kawakami, warm up properly and be ready to go on stage at any time!"
"I'll let you play when the time is right. There's another game tomorrow, and we can't let our ace players get too tired!" Coach Kataoka said with a relaxed smile.
That smile quickly infected the entire team, including Sawamura.
"Hi!!!"
The Seidou defense team, ready to go into battle, let out a fierce and loud roar.
"[There's another match tomorrow], which means we never thought we would lose!"
[We cannot let our aces become overly fatigued] means they are absolutely no match for us!
Hehehe! Hoohoo! Hmm! Sawamura understood Coach Kataoka's subconscious and then let out a strange laugh that he couldn't stop.
"This team! There's absolutely no impression that they could lose!"
"We are the strongest!!!" Sawamura looked up, his eyes sparkling as he smiled.
Even the foolish villager could understand the meaning, so naturally everyone else understood as well, which is why they were so excited!
"Top of the fifth inning! Kiryu High School's attack..."
Seventh batter! Shortstop, Nakai-kun!
The one striking was someone familiar—Kiryu's prominent, rabbit-tooth-shaped front teeth...
The people of Seidou had a deep impression of him. The reason was that Sawamura committed a pickoff foul on first base when he first came on in that Practice Match. He was the runner on first base at the time, and he was sent directly to second base because of Sawamura's foul.
"Although he is a lower-ranked batter, he is a hitter who can swing the bat without hesitation and with full force. He is definitely not someone to be underestimated!"
We learned everything clearly from the last Practice Match!
This hitter also didn't lift his leg, and he usually lifts his leg only slightly.
"Fushi!"
"Call out!"
"Huh? Missed a shot?" Nakai saw the ball coming straight at his face.
"Call out!"
"Smack!"
The ball then made a sharp turn and entered the catcher's glove!
"Nice shot!"
Senior Tanba's curveball also proved that his form was truly explosive.
While previous curveballs also had a large amplitude, this kind of Ball Trajectory that gives right-handed hitters the illusion of being hit in the face is not something that can be done anytime, anywhere.
"Call out!"
"Smack!"
"Nice shot!"
The second ball was also a curveball, but this time the variation wasn't as pronounced as the previous one; it was still quite dramatic.
"Fushi!"
"Call out!"
"Ping!"
"Third baseman!" The bench players shouted in unison when they saw the batter hadn't hit the ball well.
"Snap!" Pudding-senpai caught it steadily.
"Out!"
"The last one is a straight shot to the inside corner!"
"Out of the game!"
"Out of the game!"
The Seidou athletes encouraged each other once again.
Tanba also successfully secured three eliminations, ending the game before the third round of eliminations.
This also relieved Miyuki.
I really don't want to face Kiryu's top lane with Tenzawa as the Lead-off Hitter in this game.
"Nice pitch! Tanba-san!"
" Tanba-san!"
"It seems like it's a bit too early to defeat him!"
Oh well, never mind!
"The score is close right now, and Kataoka won't easily substitute his ace!" Coach Matsumoto watched the team encouraging each other, but didn't pay much attention.
"How does it feel? That guy's shot!" Coach Kataoka asked before the game started.
"The ball power is much stronger than when we practiced and Practice Match, and the fact that the ball power increases with the number of games played is also quite troublesome."
But it's not a ball that's completely out of reach!
"But that Slider is really over the top!" Isashiki-senpai spoke first.
"And so far there haven't been any lost bids, so we probably can't pin our hopes on that today!" Onisan interjected.
"Ugh!" Pudding-senpai completely agreed with Ionisan's opinion.
"Boom!!!" Captain Tetsu silently unleashed his aura.
"Okay! I understand!"
"How many Slider have you thrown yet?" Coach Kataoka asked.
"Eight-ball! It's mainly used to disrupt the batter's Ball Trajectory with curveballs, and also when facing Sendou and Yuki."
"The deciding shot is still mostly a fastball!" Senior Chris said, looking at the scorebook.
"So how many of the deciding shots are low to the outside Ball Trajectory?" Coach Kataoka asked again.
Senior Chris opened his eyes wide, then looked down to examine the scene carefully, immediately replaying some details of the entire match in his mind at high speed, although he didn't remember everything.
However, it was still enough for Senior Chris to realize the key to the problem. Hirobi Tate's pitches were concentrated in the four corners, and the same was true for the deciding pitch. However, due to the different pitch types and Ball Trajectory, Chris overlooked many problems in the outer corners.
"Seventeen at-bats, excluding a few dead balls, five were outside fastballs, three Slider, two were curveballs... a total of ten balls!" Senior Chris said with a sigh after carefully examining the ball.
"Because of the different ball types, it is easy to overlook the commonalities. The winner is determined by the straight ball, curveball, and Slider, depending on whether the batter is left-handed or right-handed and the batter's specific characteristics."
Left-handed hitters use straight balls and curveballs, while right-handed hitters use Slider and Low Ball to the outside corner of straight balls.
"We're still in the middle stages, and we might change our strategy in the final round!" Coach Kataoka paused for a moment when he said this.
"Apart from Sendou and Yuuki, everyone else, take aim!... Outer corner low!"
Whether it's a good shot or a bad shot, hit every shot you're confident you can get!
The right-handed batter can temporarily abandon that Slider!
In addition, don't completely avoid swinging at Inside Corner Ball pitches to prevent easily revealing your intentions and letting them know in advance which Ball Trajectory you're aiming for!
"Before they change their ball distribution plan, hit as many balls as possible!" Coach Kataoka said, glancing sideways at the crowd.
That glance was incredibly imposing.
"Hi!!!"
"And if we are discovered, await my instructions!"
Sendou! Yuuki! You are free to decide when to strike!
Anyone who thinks they can make a move should do so!
"I understand!" Sendou said.
Then, Yuki nodded silently.
"Go! Let them see your spirit, let them witness the baseball prowess of Seidou!!!" Coach Kataoka roared after giving his pre-match instructions.
"Yoshia!!!"
"Ah!!!"
The crowd formed a circle and shouted loudly!
" Bottom of the Fifth Inning! Seidou High School's attack..."
Nine sticks! Right fielder, Shirazu-kun! "
"Go! Shirazu-senpai!"
"Fight back!"
"Um..., Balanced-senpai!!!" Sawamura seemed to be thinking of a powerful cheering phrase, and casually gave Shirazu a nickname.
"Who is it? That guy named Balance!" the taciturn Shirazu-senpai thought to himself.
This was just a minor incident. Afterwards, Shirazu turned his attention to the Pitcher's Mound, to Kiryu Ace, who, as always, smiled like a skull.
"Puff!"
"Call out!"
"Nice shot!"
For left-handed hitters, Kiryu pitcher and catcher are never stingy with Inside Corner Ball!
Then,
"Call out!"
The instant he realized it was an outer corner, Shirazu stepped forward without hesitation.
"Ping!"
"Call out!"
"Puff!"
"It's down! Nine-bat Shirazu Infield Hit on base!!!"
"What happened all of a sudden? This is a bad ball!"
Are these guys starting to get anxious?
No! It doesn't seem like it!
"So, they're trying to escalate the situation further, so they've started targeting some bad balls?" Nagumo's mind raced.
In reality, he wasn't sure whether this was a coincidence or, as he suspected, a result of intensifying efforts to harass and wear down Hirobi Tate.
After all, he couldn't have imagined that the outside corner would be targeted. He had done so much to conceal his intentions and used a variety of ball types Ball Trajectory. He didn't think he could be seen through, and he probably didn't even have such a thought. So he couldn't understand it.
His inability to understand didn't stop him from continuing to play, and he even began to observe intentionally, hoping that he was just being neurotic and overthinking.
After all, Seidou Batting Lineup is very strong, and this ninth batter was a power hitter who came here to ensure a smooth batting lineup, so it's normal for him to be knocked out.
"One hit! Shortstop, Kuramochi!"
"We've finally reached the third round of the top batting lineup for Seidou!"
Having missed a golden scoring opportunity in the previous round, Seidou launched another fierce attack on Kiryu.
"Run with all your might!... Don't stop..."
Run as fast as you can!... Don't stop...
"Shoot it out! Kuramochi!"
"Keep going, Kuramochi!"
"Charge! Kuramochi!"
"Come on!!"
"Use your speed to distract them!"
"Phew!" Hearing the cheers, Kuramochi stared at the baseball bat in front of him and took a deep breath.
Kuramochi's heart was pounding!
Going to sleep now, goodnight!
Finally, I'm asking for your votes...